8 Must-Dos When Hosting Hybrid Events

A hybrid event is an event that caters to both virtual and in-person attendees. It can be tricky trying to make an event that works well for everyone. If this is your first time putting together a hybrid or virtual event, follow these eight tips to make sure everything goes smoothly.  

1. Choose a Platform

A hybrid event is more than just a business call, and you need a digital platform that can provide the services you need. The platform you choose should give you more than just a way to communicate with your team. It should allow your in-person attendees to interact and collaborate smoothly with your virtual attendees. This will help you create a virtual interactive event that is meaningful to all participants. 

2. Test Your Presentations

Before you go live, test every part of your hybrid and virtual events. 

Your test should include: 

• Sound (both speakers and microphones)

• Video

• Lighting

• Internet connectivity

• Screen sharing

• Any program or activity you plan on using throughout the event 

As you prepare, test how both groups of participants will interact with your event. The ultimate goal of any hybrid event is to provide the same high-quality experience for all attendees. 

3. Establish Rules and Expectations

Before the event, set expectations and standards for all attendees. Dealing with hybrid and virtual events may be new to them, so they need clear boundaries of what is acceptable behavior—and what is or isn’t expected.

For your in-person attendees, this can include standards and expectations about social distancing or wearing masks. For digital attendees, your expectations can include standards about turning their camera on throughout the event and even a dress code so stay-at-home workers don’t attend in their pajamas. 

4. Respect Time Constraints

You know your attendees are busy. They’re professionals that have a strict schedule and don’t have time to waste. Just like you wouldn’t dream of scheduling an in-person event and dragging it out an hour longer than planned, you should have the same professional courtesy with your hybrid and virtual events. 

If you have a hard time keeping the event running on time, consider releasing a tentative schedule before the event to keep you and your attendees on task.  

5. Broadcast from a Professional Location

You don’t want your location to overshadow your event. If your location is busy, dirty, or unkempt, your attendees could find themselves more focused on what’s going on around you than what it is you’re talking about. 

Your location should provide a clean and professional environment that has a reliable and fast internet connection. Consider using a Davinci Meeting Room. These rooms provide you with the tools and technology you need to host a hybrid event as well as a clean environment that won’t distract attendees from your message. 

Depending on the formality of your event, consider renting Davinci meeting rooms for your virtual attendees. This will give them the freedom to virtually attend wherever they are in the world and ensure they have access to a reliable internet connection in a professional setting.

6. Design Experiences for All Attendees

In any meeting or event, you want to engage all attendees. The same goes for hybrid events, but they come with an additional issue you have to address before you go live. Activities and designs that work well for in-person attendees might not always go over well for virtual attendees, and vice versa.   

Avoid catering to only one group. This will make the other group feel forgotten about or overlooked. Instead, focus on designing an event that works for both groups of attendees. 

You might run into the problem where you have to use a design or element that caters to one group more than the other. Make sure these moments are brief, and do not rely heavily on them. They should be the exception rather than the standard. 

7. Record the Event

Not everyone who wants to be at your event will be able to attend. Luckily with hybrid meetings, you have the ability to record the event. This will give non-attendees the option to still watch and learn from the event. 

8. Have a Digital Icebreaker

In a hybrid event, an icebreaker is less about getting to know each other and more about learning the platform or system that is going to be used for the event. Use the ice breaker time to help all of your attendees become accustomed to the features of your program. This way when you get to later sections of your event, they will already feel comfortable with the hybrid system.

Use a Davinci Event Space

When you choose a Davinci rental space, you can rest assured you will have a space that is fully equipped for your business in a clean, professional location. Book your rental space today for your next hybrid event.

About Coco Quillen

Coco is the Chief Operating Officer at Davinci Virtual Office Solutions. She manages the strategic development and operational implementation of services for Davinci. She works closely with all teams to ensure customers are well taken care of.